BJP confident of defeating no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, July 19: The Lok Sabha will hold discussions (on the no-confidence motion) moved by many Opposition parties on issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, cow vigilantism, lynching, atrocities against women and Dalits and alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act, on Friday, the 20 July.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said during the first day of the Monsoon Session on Wednesday that the discussion will be followed by voting on the same.

The BJP believes that the government will get the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha, when an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi dispensation would be put to vote on Friday.

According to the estimate by the party's floor managers, the government is likely to get support from small parties outside the NDA such as Anbumani Ramadoss-led PMK and Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Paksha. Although Shetty and Ramadoss are no longer members of the NDA, but the government believes that they would support it during the vote on the motion.

Talking to reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday said the NDA was united and would vote against the motion.

"We are hopeful that we will get support from parties outside NDA as well. It is strange that opposition brings this motion despite the fact that the BJP got a majority on its own and today NDA is ruling in 21 states," he said.

In a House of 535 members, the ruling National Democratic Alliance has 313 members in the Lok Sabha, including 274 (including the Speaker) of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six LJP and four SAD.

The stated strength of the Opposition is 222, including 63 of the Congress-led UPA, 37 of AIADMK, 34 of TMC, 20 BJD, 16 TDP and 11 TRS.

(with PTI inputs)